UTSA shot putter Richard Garrett, Jr. practices on campus Monday May 9, 2011. Garrett is the school's record holder for indoor and outdoor shot put and broke a 25-year-old school record for throwing the discus at the Texas relays. (Monday May 9, 2011) JOHN DAVENPORT/jdavenport@express-news.net

UTSA shot putter Richard Garrett, Jr. practices on campus Monday May 9, 2011. Garrett is the school's record holder for indoor and outdoor shot put and broke a 25-year-old school record for throwing the discus

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After the event, as Garrett stepped up to take his place on the highest level of the podium to receive his gold medal, he looked over to see Antunovic, his feet resting on a lower step.

“He was still at eye level with me,” Garrett said of the Serbian, a transfer from Arizona. “He's a very tall guy. But I like that, being one of the smallest shot putters out there, and being in these big competitions.”

He will be involved in the biggest meet of the indoor season next week.

After smashing his own personal record by nearly 3 feet in Albuquerque, Garrett will try to take that momentum into Fayetteville on March 8 for the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships.

Defending national champion Jordan Clarke of Arizona State will be the favorite. He has the best throw this year at 67-6¾. Wyoming's Mason Finley is next at 65-9¾, followed by Garrett and Antunovic.

“I feel I can go into national championships next week and do the same things, if not better,” said Garrett, whose best effort previously was 62-11¼.

In four years at UTSA, Garrett always has been a staple of the team's success on the conference level. He also has won three All-America certificates, but he's never been a top-three national contender.

Garrett said things started to change last spring while working with assistant coach Chris Adams.

Warming up at outdoor nationals, he uncorked some throws that sailed beyond 66 feet. Then, curiously, he failed to duplicate the efforts in the meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.

“I threw my best in warmups,” admitted Garrett, who finished 11th after fouling on his first two attempts.

Placing fifth that same day was Antunovic, the former Serbian junior national team athlete competing at the time for Arizona.

“They told me after nationals that he was transferring to UTA,” Garrett said, “so that's when I knew there was going to be good competition in our conference this year.”

The competition in Albuquerque turned into dramatic theater for a small crowd populated by UTA and UTSA athletes.

After Antunovic executed his best throw early in the session, his teammates roared.

The Roadrunners responded with a roar of their own after Garrett's career heave, and they went on to claim their eighth indoor conference championship in a row.

“It's probably one of the most amazing things I've seen in athletics, to see a guy PR by that much,” UTSA coach Aaron Fox said.